Page 51 of Somebody To Love

“What happened between you guys after I left?”

He sighed, threading his fingers through hers and pulling their clasped hands into his lap. He stroked the back of her knuckles with his thumb, staring at their entwined fingers as he explained the reaction of his siblings to their kiss.

“You told them our plan?” she asked after he finished.

“Yeah. Ace kind of already knew. I mean, not the change from the clinical to the physical, but he knew I was going to help you have a baby.”

She figured he would tell his brother. Heck, Ace probably already knew before BJ said anything. They had that freaky twin vibe thing where they always seemed to know what the other was thinking.

“Charlie didn’t take it well, I assume?”

He grunted. “When does my sister ever take anything well?”

Good point. The woman was loyal and fierce in her love of family and friends, but she had a mean streak Penny tried to steer clear of. Worry gnawed at her to think her request had created a rift in BJ’s relationships with his siblings. She never wanted that. She had so much love to give. When she’d realized there was no partner in her future, no one she could make a family with, doing it this way felt like the best plan. BJ was the perfect person to help her with it, but not at the expense of his family. Moisture gathered in the corner of her eyes. Sniffing, she quickly tried to blink it away before any tears fell.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to cause you any trouble. I can talk to Charlie and—”

“Hey, hey, hey.” He released her hand, bringing his palms up to cup her face as she stared into her eyes. “We’re fine. Everything is fine. Charlie’s always in a snit over something. You know how she loves to hop on her high horse and rag on all of us about how wrong we are about everything. I’m pretty sure it’s in the sister code somewhere.”

A sound somewhere between a chuckle and a sob burst out of her. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure my sister has that handbook, too.”

He leaned in, gently brushing his lips over hers. Involuntarily, her body leaned toward him, eager for another taste. Tilting his chin, his long hair flipped to one side as he used the hold he had on her face to create the perfect angle for their mouths to fuse. Her tongue darted out, caressing his lips, seeking entrance. He complied by opening his mouth and proceeding to devour her in a sensual assault that made her brain fuzzy.

After a few minutes, where it seemed her body temperature had risen to impossible heights, BJ pulled away. “Don’t worry about what my sister thinks. Don’t worry about what anyone thinks. There are only two people whose opinions matter and they’re sitting right on this couch, totally gung-ho for their plan. As long as this agreement works for us, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, right?”

“Right.”

“Good.” He dropped the gentle hold he had on her face, arms going around her waist to haul her over and onto his lap. “Now. Since we’re in agreement, what do you say we pick up where we left off this morning?”

A warm, aching, tingly sensation gathered at the apex between her legs. The same spot which was currently in the perfect position to rub against a very hard and bulging part of BJ’s anatomy. As she did exactly that, he let out a deep groan of pleasure, hands gripping her hips tightly to press her more firmly against him.

He was right. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought. The only people who should be concerned with their situation were the two people involved: them. And they’d agreed to keep things as they were. Friendship first. Sex wouldn’t change them. The baby wouldn’t change them. They’d agreed.

She would just ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her gut that said they were fooling themselves.

CHAPTER 21

“Hey, is there any more coffee left?”

Penny finished pulling her hair into a high ponytail, winding the elastic band around her gathered strands as she shouted to BJ, “Did you check the cupboard above the stove?”

“Yes. Nothing,” he called back from the kitchen.

Checking her appearance in the mirror one last time—satisfied that her pulled-back hair, pressed slacks and button-up blouse looked professional since she had client meetings today—she hurried out of the bathroom to the kitchen.

“I must be out. Sorry, I’m not used to making a pot for two in the mornings.”

BJ grinned. He’d been staying over at her place for the past week. Every morning, they had breakfast and went about their respective days, but at night—at night he came home to her. Sometimes it would be early enough to watch a show, play a card game, or just talk for a while. Other nights he worked the late shift at Jacks, and he’d wake her up in the most delicious ways when he got in.

She assumed having sex with BJ would be enjoyable, but she never imagined it’d be addictive. Never thought she’d crave it with every breath in her body. During the day when she was supposed to be working, she’d find herself thinking of her best friend and what they’d done together, what she wanted to do with him, to him. What started out as a simple plan to procreate was quickly becoming an out-of-control obsession. Fear wormed its way into her brain. A tiny whisper of a warning that this thing they were doing had somehow gotten off track. That maybe it wasn’t all about the baby anymore.

“Want to grab a cup from Tin Cups before your appointment this morning?”

“Yes. I’m meeting with Apple and Olive. I need all the caffeine I can get.”

He chuckled, grabbing his keys from the rack on the wall. “Come on. I’ll drive. I have the early shift today. I can pick you up when you’re done with all your stuff.”

She had a full list of client appointments today, all of them on Goldmine Street. It wouldn’t be an issue to be without a car for the entire day. “Okay, sounds good. We can grab some more coffee from the store on our way home.”

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